SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Victoria Bay of Los Angeles protests against fascism while attending a "Good Trouble Lives On" demonstration in front of City Hall on July 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo by Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
What Kind of Times Are We Living In?
Alarming ones, if you believe in democracy.
Sep 23, 2025
Censorship is flooding our society.
However, like soma in Brave New World, many Americans are pacified by what we see online. TikTok videos, watching other gamers, and videos of the cute things that wild animals do on Instagram. If it’s the mainstream news, we’ll see a car crash, a house fire, the weather, traffic reports. If it’s political, it is too often framed as though it’s the same old, same old—similar to the mid-1990s welfare reform debate or the discussion around the Iraq War in 2002-2003, rather than focusing on Americans’ and American residents’ constitutional freedoms, human rights, and freedom of speech at stake.
Some Americans are in a state of shock, hoping that in three and a half years things will get better. Others are in a state of denial, pretending that things aren’t actually on a blitzkrieg train to fascism. Others say, well, it’s not pretty but in the end society will benefit. Then, of course, the diehard MAGAs, with Dr. Panglossian eyes, think that we are now living in the best of all possible worlds.
Yet, this begs the question: What kind of times are we living in?
The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism.
Where people who pick blueberries and harvest fall crops are disappeared by masked men.
Where protesters are thrown to the ground if they are Americans. If they are not citizens, then they could be rounded up, detained for hundreds of days, and deported.
Where media heads, less beholden to the concentration of power, are cancelled for criticizing the wannabe dictator’s MAGA movement. But wasn’t there a right-wing push against so-called "cancel culture"?
Where federal scientists’ jobs are eliminated and the public is told to question vaccines that save millions of lives.
Where health insurance is stripped from the people, while $1 trillion is spent on the military and hundreds of millions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has become a paramilitary force like Israel—receiving exorbitant funds and complete impunity.
Where there’s a new war on terror against the supposed drug smugglers traveling near a less-favored country—Venezuela—or the country with the world’s largest oil reserves.
Where the war on terror has also expanded internally to Antifa. But what person in the world isn’t anti-fascist? Oh right, MAGA, a special kind.
Where the perpetrator of genocide is now forcing the 1 million Gaza City residents from their homes and uses the mask of the wannabe dictator’s Gaza Rivera plan.
What about the response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which has become the ultimate Reichstag moment? Never mind the murder of Minnesota state reps, the killing at Unite the Right in Charlottesville, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, or the attempted insurrection on January 6. And the fact that since the 1990s, political violence has been dominated by the right wing. However, it is a convenient opportunity to crack down on speech, try to cancel Jimmy Kimmel, and declare a war on the opposition. Because our fragile wannabe and his enablers are the real snowflakes.
Anyway, good times in the not-so-United States of America in September 2025. The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism. Unless we can stop it.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Peter F. Crowley
As a prolific author from the Boston area, Peter F. Crowley writes in various forms, including short fiction, op-eds, poetry, and academic essays. His writing can be found in Pif Magazine, New Verse News, Counterpunch, Middle East Monitor, Galway Review, Digging the Fat, Adelaide’s Short Story and Poetry Award anthologies (finalist in both), and The Opiate. He is the author of the poetry books Those Who Hold Up the Earth and Empire’s End, and the short fiction collection That Night and Other Stories.
censorshipmagademocracywar on terrorauthoritarianismfascismgaza genocidevenezuelaus immigration and customs enforcement
Censorship is flooding our society.
However, like soma in Brave New World, many Americans are pacified by what we see online. TikTok videos, watching other gamers, and videos of the cute things that wild animals do on Instagram. If it’s the mainstream news, we’ll see a car crash, a house fire, the weather, traffic reports. If it’s political, it is too often framed as though it’s the same old, same old—similar to the mid-1990s welfare reform debate or the discussion around the Iraq War in 2002-2003, rather than focusing on Americans’ and American residents’ constitutional freedoms, human rights, and freedom of speech at stake.
Some Americans are in a state of shock, hoping that in three and a half years things will get better. Others are in a state of denial, pretending that things aren’t actually on a blitzkrieg train to fascism. Others say, well, it’s not pretty but in the end society will benefit. Then, of course, the diehard MAGAs, with Dr. Panglossian eyes, think that we are now living in the best of all possible worlds.
Yet, this begs the question: What kind of times are we living in?
The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism.
Where people who pick blueberries and harvest fall crops are disappeared by masked men.
Where protesters are thrown to the ground if they are Americans. If they are not citizens, then they could be rounded up, detained for hundreds of days, and deported.
Where media heads, less beholden to the concentration of power, are cancelled for criticizing the wannabe dictator’s MAGA movement. But wasn’t there a right-wing push against so-called "cancel culture"?
Where federal scientists’ jobs are eliminated and the public is told to question vaccines that save millions of lives.
Where health insurance is stripped from the people, while $1 trillion is spent on the military and hundreds of millions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has become a paramilitary force like Israel—receiving exorbitant funds and complete impunity.
Where there’s a new war on terror against the supposed drug smugglers traveling near a less-favored country—Venezuela—or the country with the world’s largest oil reserves.
Where the war on terror has also expanded internally to Antifa. But what person in the world isn’t anti-fascist? Oh right, MAGA, a special kind.
Where the perpetrator of genocide is now forcing the 1 million Gaza City residents from their homes and uses the mask of the wannabe dictator’s Gaza Rivera plan.
What about the response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which has become the ultimate Reichstag moment? Never mind the murder of Minnesota state reps, the killing at Unite the Right in Charlottesville, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, or the attempted insurrection on January 6. And the fact that since the 1990s, political violence has been dominated by the right wing. However, it is a convenient opportunity to crack down on speech, try to cancel Jimmy Kimmel, and declare a war on the opposition. Because our fragile wannabe and his enablers are the real snowflakes.
Anyway, good times in the not-so-United States of America in September 2025. The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism. Unless we can stop it.
Peter F. Crowley
As a prolific author from the Boston area, Peter F. Crowley writes in various forms, including short fiction, op-eds, poetry, and academic essays. His writing can be found in Pif Magazine, New Verse News, Counterpunch, Middle East Monitor, Galway Review, Digging the Fat, Adelaide’s Short Story and Poetry Award anthologies (finalist in both), and The Opiate. He is the author of the poetry books Those Who Hold Up the Earth and Empire’s End, and the short fiction collection That Night and Other Stories.
Censorship is flooding our society.
However, like soma in Brave New World, many Americans are pacified by what we see online. TikTok videos, watching other gamers, and videos of the cute things that wild animals do on Instagram. If it’s the mainstream news, we’ll see a car crash, a house fire, the weather, traffic reports. If it’s political, it is too often framed as though it’s the same old, same old—similar to the mid-1990s welfare reform debate or the discussion around the Iraq War in 2002-2003, rather than focusing on Americans’ and American residents’ constitutional freedoms, human rights, and freedom of speech at stake.
Some Americans are in a state of shock, hoping that in three and a half years things will get better. Others are in a state of denial, pretending that things aren’t actually on a blitzkrieg train to fascism. Others say, well, it’s not pretty but in the end society will benefit. Then, of course, the diehard MAGAs, with Dr. Panglossian eyes, think that we are now living in the best of all possible worlds.
Yet, this begs the question: What kind of times are we living in?
The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism.
Where people who pick blueberries and harvest fall crops are disappeared by masked men.
Where protesters are thrown to the ground if they are Americans. If they are not citizens, then they could be rounded up, detained for hundreds of days, and deported.
Where media heads, less beholden to the concentration of power, are cancelled for criticizing the wannabe dictator’s MAGA movement. But wasn’t there a right-wing push against so-called "cancel culture"?
Where federal scientists’ jobs are eliminated and the public is told to question vaccines that save millions of lives.
Where health insurance is stripped from the people, while $1 trillion is spent on the military and hundreds of millions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has become a paramilitary force like Israel—receiving exorbitant funds and complete impunity.
Where there’s a new war on terror against the supposed drug smugglers traveling near a less-favored country—Venezuela—or the country with the world’s largest oil reserves.
Where the war on terror has also expanded internally to Antifa. But what person in the world isn’t anti-fascist? Oh right, MAGA, a special kind.
Where the perpetrator of genocide is now forcing the 1 million Gaza City residents from their homes and uses the mask of the wannabe dictator’s Gaza Rivera plan.
What about the response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which has become the ultimate Reichstag moment? Never mind the murder of Minnesota state reps, the killing at Unite the Right in Charlottesville, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, or the attempted insurrection on January 6. And the fact that since the 1990s, political violence has been dominated by the right wing. However, it is a convenient opportunity to crack down on speech, try to cancel Jimmy Kimmel, and declare a war on the opposition. Because our fragile wannabe and his enablers are the real snowflakes.
Anyway, good times in the not-so-United States of America in September 2025. The country that claimed it started modern democracy has now seemed to have begun its trip into the dustbin of history, heading toward authoritarian fascism. Unless we can stop it.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy